The present disclosure relates to a fan housing assembly of a turbofan engine and more particularly to a non-metallic composite fan housing assembly and method of manufacture.
Turbofan engines include a fan section having a plurality of circumferentially spaced fan blades surrounded by a fan housing assembly supported within a nacelle and generally designed to inhibit projectile travel. Fan housing assemblies are known to include a generally cylindrical housing made of a non-metallic composite material to minimize weight. The assemblies further include V-grooves for supporting and connecting to a thrust reverser located downstream of the fan section, and flanges projecting radially outward from the housing to secure and support various components. Unfortunately, the flanges and V-grooves are typically made of metallic materials for strength and wear thus adding weight to the fan section and complicating manufacturing with the additional parts. There exists a need to reduce weight of the fan section, and reduce manufacturing cost and complexity.